Business Overview

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe presents groundbreaking works of literature, music, theater, performance art, poetry slam, hip hop and visual art by established as well as rising artists from every background imaginable. Since its founding in 1973, the Cafe has emerged as one of the country's most respected arts organizations and has become an acclaimed multicultural arts forum. The Nuyorican is where slam poetry first achieved widespread recognition; Friday Night Poetry Slams and Wednesday night Slam Open events here are standing-room-only. Latin jazz greats play here on Thursday nights, and the Puerto Rican roots band Yerbabuena draws crowds on the second Saturday of the month. The Moth Story Slam, the hip-hop/poetry events Words and All That, and the Banana Puddin Jazz Jam are popular monthly shows, and the Nuyorican's plays and screenplay readings feature legendary writers and performers.

Music, spoken word, theater and film on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Reviews & Comments

The leading venue for avant-garde downtown literary events. “ With a unique urban energy, the Nuyorican poetry performers have created a new kind of audience. Poetry slams, hip-hop concerts, latin-jazz jams and plays are just some of the events performed in this Alphabet City cultural warehouse. The Friday Night Poetry Slam and the Moth StorySLAM are particular favorites. The Nuyorican has never been just a self-enclosed literary enclave. The cafe and its performers are as dedicated to their surrounding community as they are to their art. Teaching workshops and supporting emerging writers and programs like YouthSpeaks are all part of the vibe here. ”   Contributor – 8/14/2003
Editorial Review

AWESOME SPOT “ They make you feel comfortable..Very friendly people.... Poets are AWESOME....you will have great time..get there about half hour early for a good seat..place gets jammed pack....best nights i've been are Fridays....but i heard Wednesday and Saturdays are great too....Just go YOU WILL LOVE IT ”   eunit525 – 10/31/2009
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Lives up to it's rep “ This place makes me smile. It lives up to it's rep. You leave feeling cultured, respected, and loved. Great vibe, cool music, poetry, readings...you name it. If you want drinks, the place has those too. It's basically the cornerstone of culture in NYC. I can't say enough good things about the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. ”   NYC311 – 4/14/2009
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Alphabet City's Best Poetry by Deirdre M. at InsiderPages “ A very cheap cover fee, eclectic crowd, out of the way location, and incredible talent make the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe one of the most fun places in New York. There are different slams on different nights. Watch out on Friday nights, it tends to fill up quickly. ”   Citysearch User – 5/24/2005
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what nyc is about “ I've been here a few times for the Friday night Poetry Slam and its a nice place to get some "urban culture". Get there 1/2hour early (9:30) if you expect a seat, otherwise you'll find yourself on top of the piano or fire escape It's $10 at the door and the only thing the "bar" serves are beers and wine. The bartender was rude and demanded a tip even before giving me my drink. Drink afterwards, no reason to tip just for taking the cap off my Corona ($4). It has a small homey feel, red brick walls and a 4'x4' stage. Slams last until 1-2am. 3-4 poets compete, 3 poems each and audience members are given score cards. The highest and lowest scores are dropped, remaining 3 scores are averaged, at the end of the highest scorer gets the biggest cash prize, others get a smaller fraction. ”   lilnap – 3/10/2005
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Brain Food “ If you're looking for a laid-back evening listening to concious poetry (while kicking back a couple of beers), then this is the spot! Get there early! The place packs out quickly! ”   Carmen19b – 6/3/2003
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creative for us and cathartic for them.. “ i stopped by nuyorican on a Friday. the price was great $5. but my feelings are mixed. the poets are real talented. but i didn't care for the audience voting on who was the best. also, the line was long. go early and prepare to stand outside and wait til they're ready to open after 9 pm. most of the poets were good and a lot were depressing. i love poetry and realize that some of the best writing comes from heartache and pain... but hardly any of them seemed happy about anything in their life. a lot of them that night were sharing their stories of abuse and struggle but there wasn't much about happier times. i will definitely come back to give it another chance. but if i wanted to be depressed i could have stayed home and listened to Sade or watched CNN all evening. ”   Corris – 4/15/2003
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Talent Immeasurable! “ This place is incredible! Despite previous reviews of the poetry not being up to par with what it used to be, the talent in this house is outstanding. The words spoken are politically, racially, sexually and emotionally charged. You walk away not understanding how these people aren't the ones we listen to on the radio instead of all the overplayed junk and pop music we repeatedly hear that is tasteless, vulgar and uneducational. I love it! And it's a great place to come on with a date... makes for stimulating conversation, which is rare these days. ”   cdj211 – 10/16/2002
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Useta Be “ I used to like the poetry here, but it's been downhill for quite a while. ”   Radnik – 10/11/2002
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